BJP likely to field Rajnath Singh from Lucknow

NEW DELHI: BJP chief Rajnath Singh is likely to contest from the prestigious Lucknow seat in Uttar Pradesh in the coming Lok Sabha elections, shifting out of Ghaziabad which he now represents in Parliament.

The announcement is expected after the party's central election committee meeting on Saturday, when contestants for a big chunk of seats from UP will be picked.

Singh, by moving to Lucknow which had come to be identified as Atal Bihari Vajpyee's constituency, may be hoping to claim the legacy of the former prime minister. His move may also be interpreted as reflecting his uncertainty about his prospects in Ghaziabad where fledgling AAP has acquired strong pockets of influence.

Considered a "safe seat" for BJP, Singh can hope to hold on to Lucknow for a long run. Singh's entry into Lucknow would mean sitting MP Lalji Tandon would have to vacate the seat. Singh had once contested and lost an assembly election in 1993 from the Mahona constituency in Lucknow.

Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and firebrand BJP leader Uma Bharti is likely to contest from Jhansi in Bundelkhand region of UP. Haridwar may also be considered for her. Bharti, who belongs to the Lodh community that dominates the Bundelkhand region spanning across parts of UP and Madhya Pradesh, will be contesting from UP for the first time.

The seats in focus are Varanasi and Kanpur. While sitting MP and senior party leader Murli Manohar Joshi is unwilling to vacate his seat, there is a proposal to move him to Kanpur, eyed by another party veteran Kalraj Mishra. BJP wants Mishra to consider Sravasti.

The upcoming UP list is also likely to include names of Pilibhit MP Varun Gandhi who will contest from Sultanpur, once represented by his late father Sanjay Gandhi. His mother Maneka Gandhi is expected to go back to Pilibhit after her stint at Aola. She had vacated Pilibhit for her son last time.

Among the veterans, Kalyan Singh is likely to contest from Eta, a stronghold of the Lodh community that he represents. Kesarinath Tripathy is the likely candidate from Allahabad and Swami Chinmayananad from Jaunpur. BJP legislature party leader in the state assembly Hukum Singh is likely to contest from Kairana.

Sitting MP Yogi Adityanath may contest from his home turf in Gorakhpur, while Santosh Gangwar is likely to fight from Bareilly, a seat he lost last time, but had won several times in a row before.